Protect Medicaid Funding from Cuts

February 17, 2017

PROTECT MEDICAID FUNDING FROM CUTS

The Governor’s budget proposes to cut HUSKY A Parents eligibility from the current 155% of the federal poverty level to 138%. This will eliminate at least 9,500 parents from HUSKY health care coverage. Here is why we oppose this reduction:

HUSKY A Parents are low income households. They cannot afford the co-pays and deductibles of even a subsidized plan under the health care exchange. Experience in the past has shown that taking this group off of HUSKY will leave them without health coverage.

When the parents lack health insurance it has been demonstrated that the children, even if the children have coverage, tend not to receive health care. Removing the parents has the effect of removing the children too.

MEDCAID is a CORE SAFETY NET PROGRAM. We must not allow core safety net services to be reduced or eliminated. Everyone should have the right to health care coverage.

The Governor’s budget proposes capping dental coverage for Medicaid adults at $1,000 per year. Services above this amount will require prior-authorization. The rationale for this is that most private dental plans typically have $1,000-1,200 caps. Here is why we oppose this reduction:

Private dental coverage is typically through employers with the covered person in an income level where it is affordable to pay for services above the annual cap. Medicaid recipients however cannot afford to pay for dental coverage that exceeds $1,000 annually so will go without needed care.

Many health problems are identified by dentists prior to other detection. Routine dental care can prevent or early detect a health problem that will cost the state more to treat at an acute level.

Prior authorization and other paperwork will discourage dentists from taking Medicaid enrollees.

It is time that dental care be covered in the same way as other physical health care conditions.

TAKE ACTION!

CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE

TELL THEM TO “MAINTAIN MEDICAID FUNDING AT CURRENT LEVELS FOR ALL COVERED SERVICES”